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Human
When Istara created her celestial anchor upon the Prime in the form of the world, she realized that she would need a hardy cadre of beings dedicated to her aim of creating an extension of the Realm of Dawn upon the Prime. She also realized that these beings would need to prosper under the most adverse conditions and climates without her direct intervention. This is the legend of the creation of the Human race, and whatever arguments may be raised against it, it is widely accepted that the Humans were indeed one of the first races to enter Istaria. Several other cultures choose to emphasize this point as little as possible. Physically the weakest of the Istarian peoples (okay, Dryads aren’t exactly weightlifters), Humans have had to become by far the most adaptable. No other race has (or needs to have) quite the Human incentive to master whatever skill or discipline becomes necessary - and then to work out another if that one should fail. Born adventurers, shapeshifters in all but the body, outclassed and outgunned in so many ways, they can be killed, beaten, tricked, and even turned against each other - but they do keep coming... They call themselves "the Children of Istara" - though not every other folk refer to them thus - and they are in many ways the most unknowable and unpredictable of the Living Races. It was a single act of Human self-sacrifice that gave the peoples of today a fighting chance against the assaults of the Withered Aegis; it was also a single Human’s lust for power that brought the entire world to the brink of oblivion. Outgoing, social and generally amicable as they are, in their time they have represented the extremes of Istarian civilization. The Sslik will never trust them; the Elves and Half-Giants have well-known proverbs about Human unreliability. Their closest allies are the Gnomes, and after those the Dwarves. Fiends despise all Humans - or say they do - but some are strangely fascinated with them as well. Attributes Racial Bonuses *Human Magical Aptitude: Humanity's long history of magical study allows them a great deal of control over their spells when properly concentrating. *Enhanced Magical Defense: Human understanding of magic provides them with better defense against it. Spoken Phrases, Utterings, Prayers and Curses *'Blueskin' – Derogatory term used between humans, implying that the subject is speaking or acting in a fiend-like manner. Antagonistic, mean, condescending, spiteful, petty. Ex: "Do you have to be such a blueskin all the time?" *'Talk like a Helian' - Refers to a person who is all talk and no action, or who tends to pontificate endlessly. Believed to have originated in response to either Scholar Helian's conduct prior to the Schism or to some of the Helian faction's earliest and least successful attempts to guide and educate humans after the founding of Chiconis. Ex: "Bring some extra klava, he talks like a Helian." *Tazoon – A person who is attractive but empty-headed. Foolish, self-centered, superficial. Less frequently used to mean boring or uneventful. Ex: "How could you go out with him? He’s an utter Tazoon." *'Ashlander, Vandus, Ashlander Vandus' – expression of skepticism, sarcasm or disbelief. Ex: "Who’s going to make me? You and Ashlander Vandus?", "You want ALL that done before nightfall? Oh, sure, I'll just get Ashlander to help me, and it'll be no problem!", "Nope, me and Vandus got it under control." Source: www.istaria.com Category:Races